Ableton Live - Synthesis (LO #1, 2, 5 and 11)

Kick Drum Instrument using FM synthesis

There are many different ways to design the kick drum, and each kick has different settings. The sound i have tried to create is a basic kick drum sound which keeps the groove, using FM synthesis in Ableton live.

Create a drum rack and lay out the pattern, then drag an operator in the sample section.

• Oscillator A - To design the core sound of the kick. Select the one stack oscillator and choose trigger mode in the loop menu for no repetition, which gives that only one high transient. Choosing the default sine waveform for the smoother sound in the envelope section, set ADSR according to the desire of the sound. For an immediate attack, set it to 0 ms and decay at 755 ms for the booming sound, the higher the decay more boomier it gets. Set sustain -40 dB, Level is set as per needed around -6.3dB

• Oscillator B - To the design the click sound when the beater hits the drum. Setting the coarse at 2 for bright sound and level according to the loudness of the click. Copying the envelope from oscillator A, only change is the decay time which is set at 29.2 ms as there is no need of the boomy sound.

• Oscillator C and D - the envelope is copied from oscillator B and setting the level between -23 dB and -18dB for the extra punch.

Cut the high frequency in the filter section by setting frequency around 2.15khz for more clean sound with less resonance. Setting the Pitch to 100% which will define the pitch level in envelop, and transpose around -30 st.

Ambient (PAD) using subtractive synthesis

I have tried to create sound that gives the string instrument. Create a MIDI track and drag the operator in to the sample section, then select a two stack algorithm.

• Oscillator A - Create low frequency of a humming sound effect, select triangle waveform. As the core sound builds up from low to high frequency set the Attack at 206 ms, and also slowly fades so turn up the release to 3.38 s. turn up the decay to 278 ms and drop a sustain a bit to -9.7 dB.

• Oscillator B - As sound created in oscillator A is low frequency, and doesn't need any changes oscillator B is disabled.​​​​​​

• Oscillator C - Here Oscillator C is also a carrier, Set a longer Attack at 206 ms, Decay 278 ms, sustain -9.7 dB and Release 3.38 s. 69% of velocity to give bit musical aspect.

• Oscillator D - It modulates oscillator C, bring up coarse at 5 to brighten the sound. Set ADSR, shorter attack 25.7ms as oscillator C already has long attack and faster release around 7.22 ms. Bring down the sustain to -14dB to remove the air sound. Add 25% of feedback which modulates itself.

To give a bit of a sci-fi effect select S&H (sample and hold) in LFO section to the high frequencies of the oscillators with the rate around 107 but not too much, 18% amount. Drop down pitch envelop -4.8 % and transpose to -6 st. Bring up 62% for stereo effect.

Bass guitar

Create another MIDI track and drop the operator in the sample section, and choose the two stack algorithm. In two stack algorithm oscillator A and C will be the carrier, where B modulates A and D modulates C.​​​​​​​​

• Oscillator A - To design the core sound and setting ADSR to mould the sound according to the desired bass guitar sound. Select the Square 3 waveform for electric and edgy sound. In the ADSR section, drop the sustain level at -51dB and decay around 10.8 ms.

• Oscillator B - set the coarse at 2 to add a bit of plucking sound and volume up to -31dB. You can detune a bit in oscillator around 8 to brighten the sound and release at 3.49ms.

• Put up the levels in Oscillator C and D just to add more gain. For the vibration effect turn the rate in LFO section up to 125.99 with very less amount around 5%. To create a stereo effect to add chorusing sound, turn up the spread knob for stereo effect. Drop down the transpose knob for fatter sound at -30st.

Leadline Instrument

As there is kick and bass which has low frequencies, lead line instrument is more bright. Create a melody using Instrument rack and drop two operators in the sample section.

In Operator 1 select a default one stack algorithm.​​​​​

• Oscillator A - For the bright sound I have selected Sawtooth D waveform. The instrument sound has shorter, so in ADSR drop down sustain all the way down and Decay around 588 ms. For the immediate attack set attack at 0 and release at 90 ms. This will create a short and bright plucking sound.

• Oscillator B - It modulates oscillator A so to give the harmonic effect detune a bit at 8 and put a longer attack in the ADSR at around 1.84 ms also bit longer release for 1.60 s. The level is -9.4 dB lower than oscillator A.

• Oscillator C and D - To make bit more brighter sound with a bit of a distortion effect detune C at 5. Add an immediate attack, decay around 131 ms, very less to no sustain at -60 dB and release 588 ms.

• Oscillator D - Detune at 3 and set attack at 1.06 ms, Decay 9.49 ms, sustain -60dB and release around 970 ms. As the sound created is bright drop down the volume at -17dB and for wider effect add 68% spread.

Second Operator is to add reverb effect and also fullness to the sound. ​​​​​​​​

• Oscillator A - Select sawtooth 64 waveform, then set attack to 0.61ms, shorter Decay 70 ms, 1.24s release and no sustain.

• Oscillator B - Add bit of a decay at 2.99 s, also release of 2.05 s and drop down the sustain to -29 dB.

Cut down the high frequencies from the filter section with only 20% of resonance. For more stereo effect add 67% spread, Drop down the volume to -22 dB.

REFERENCES

"Smooth Operator | Sound On Sound". Soundonsound.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 28 June 2016.

"Q. What’S The Best Way To Create Sub-Bass Synth Sounds? | Sound On Sound". Soundonsound.com. N.p., 2016. Web. 28 June 2016.